


The show must go on

by katiebuttercup



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Arthur's anger fails him, F/M, Merlynn is dumb, Morgana is good, Unresolved Sexual Tension, arthur tries but fails, everyone knows but merlynn, they were so close
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 09:54:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4560198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katiebuttercup/pseuds/katiebuttercup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lancelot and Gwen have been discovered; Merlynn doesn't know why Arthur isn't more upset about it</p>
            </blockquote>





	The show must go on

This is based on BBC Merlin. I own none of these characters. This is a work of fiction. 

The castle feels as if it is holding its breath. There is a hushed silence that permeates the very stone walls around Merlynn. Everything works like clockwork, servants rush inconspicuously between rooms, never underfoot but completing their masters chores as quickly as ever. 

It's a hidden world that as kind as Morgana and Arthur are to those beneath them, they will never know. Servants are trained to think of their masters needs before they can think of it themselves. Gwen knows morgana's routine by heart. Morgana needs only to reach and whatever she needs is there.

Merlynn is less inconspicuous. Magical she may be, but Merlynn by her own admission is clumsy. But by and large she knows Arthur and she knows that when his heart is bruised he will throw himself into his work. 

Merlynn braces herself before knocking on the door. 

"Come!" 

Arthur's voice is as strident as ever, Merlynn enters. 

The king sits at his table, scrolls and parchments set in front of him. Merlynn skirts around the large table, trying to gauge his mood before addressing him. Although his brow his furrowed there is no sense of sorrow in his features. 

Cautiously Merlynn picks up the water jug and pours the liquid into Arthur's waiting cup. The silence feels oppressive. Her hands feel slippery. She wants the blurt something but her mind is humming blank. What could see possibly say that could convey the depth of her compassion? She's so sorry.

"Uh, Merlynn you can stop now" 

Merlynn blinks rapidly, realising that the cup had begun to overflow. 

"Oh! Oh sorry!" 

She eases the water jug onto the table and pats herself down in order to find someonething to mop up the excess water before it can reach the papers. 

Arthur let's out a deep sigh, brandishing a handkerchief and mopping up the water. 

"Some things never change Merlynn" there is fondness in his tone, and it sends a shiver down her spine. 

It's nerves she tells herself. Although she's not sure why. It's just Arthur.

"You know me," Merlynn says, "same old Merlynn" 

Arthur's hand comes to rest on hers. The warmth of his fingers pressed against hers is distracting. 

"Yes, Merlynn I do know you" there is something heavy in his tone. She can feel it in the air between them the same way she can feel his fingers on hers. It feels like burning.

"Same old Merlynn" 

There's something in the way Arthur says her name. She had noticed it when he had said gwen's full name. Something rich and sumptous and it made her breath catch. 

"I'm sorry about Gwen and Lance!" 

They take a step back in unison, Arthur's strong jaw works as he looks away. Her heartbeat sounds deafening. Her hand tingles from the shock of the loss of Arthur's touch. She shoves her hand in her pocket to stop the urge to touch it. Or worse touch him. 

Shes not sure why but she knows that touching Arthur right now would be very, very bad for her. 

"Thank you for your concern," Arthur says, when he looks back at her his eyes are cold, chips of ice in the daylight. 

Merlynn knows there's no magic powerful enough to save her from the mess she had created. 

Arthur's knuckles tap an uneven tempo on the table. There is nothing but horrible, hurtful silence. 

"I should go--I have duties" Merlynn finally manages to prise herself off the spot. Everything had been fine until she had opened her mouth. She should have just held her breath like everyone else. 

"I haven't dismissed you," 

Arthur's voice holds her captive, she is helpless to obey. Arthur walks around the table-the long way she notes. 

Arthur clears his throat- it's the first glimpse of vulnerability she's seen. He's unbearably handsome, the dashing knight is one thing but Merlynn finds these glimpses of humanity much more interesting.

"Merlynn, sometimes it feels like you are the only one I can trust" 

Merlynn wants to cry at the irony. If he knew about her magic he wouldn't say such things. 

"You can always trust that I work for your best interests and camelots" it's as close to the truth as she dares. 

"I know that' Arthur says, and there is certainty in his voice. 

"And I know that Gwen and Lance didn't mean--"

"I don't need you to tell me what Guinevere and Lancelot meant or didn't mean to do. It is done." Arthur snaps. 

"It was foolish for me to believe my happiness could lie with a servant" Arthur snarls.

Merlynn reels back in horror. Something inside of her cries out but she ruthlessly presses it down. They are fighting again and everything hurts.

Merlynn opens her mouth but nothing comes out. It shouldn't hurt as much as it does. Arthur is obviously angry, lashing out at Gwen but it feels personal. 

She spins around heading for the door, let Arthur throw his temper tantrum. she doesn't even know how they got here. 

But just as she reaches the door, Arthur slams it closed, using his bulk to block her way.

"Merlynn," 

She doesn't look up, she feels his fingers beneath her chin as he tilts her head up. 

"I'm sorry" 

An apology from the King was worth more than gold but Merlynn couldn't appreciate it. 

"I'm just upset" Arthur continued, "my last conversation with Gwen was...less than pleasant"

Merlynn could imagine. How could you face the person you loved who had betrayed you?

"I realised something, I was so angry at Gwen at Lancelot." He paused significantly, waiting until Merlynn looked at him. "I was angry at myself for not noticing. And I was angry at you"

"Me?"

"I can live without Gwen, I can learn to live around the hole she has left. But I realised that I can't live without you." 

There are a hundred retorts, a quirk of the lips and she could rebut with "of course not who would do your laundry" 

"Arthur please..." 

He's too close, she can feel the brush of his hair against her forehead, his fingers under her chin feel like a brand. 

"You said you trusted me" Arthur's voice was soft. 

If his touch was a brand his kiss felt as if she had been thrown straight into the fire.


End file.
